2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
Entries: 40
Prize Pool: $1,000,000
April 15-16, 2018

High Roller events are always exciting when they appear on the schedule. The $25,500 buy-in Poker Showdown version featured a $1 Million Guarantee and it attracted some of the most talented players in the poker world. Brandon Adams entered the game late and ran strong from start to finish to win the title for $370,000.

The tournament drew 40 entries to put exactly $1,000,000 up for grabs. The last six spots paid out but they had to do a lot of work to get there.

The field included tough competition that included Chance Kornuth, Shaun Deeb, Will “The Thrill” Failla, Jonathan Little, James Calderaro, and three-time WPT Champions Club member Darren Elias among the talented field.

Adams was one of the last players to join the field and he immediately began trying to build a stack in anticipation of registration closing after dinner. He was able triple his starting stack and set himself up well for the deep run.

“I was planning on playing those two hours before dinner pretty fast and if it didn’t go well I was going to rebuy.” Adams commented.

“I had one key hand right before the dinner break. I check-raise bluffed the flop with a gutshot that got there on the turn against a made hand. That was pretty huge for the tournament.” he continued. “That was a crucial hand because I bluffed and got there. He had a big hand, I make the nuts on the turn and I’m up to 300,000 before dinner.”

The High Roller formed the nine-handed final table before the last break of the day and seven players were still in the game, with six getting paid, when they wrapped up for the night.

“In the two hours after dinner, it was just small things going the right way,” Adams said about his Day 1 late run. “It felt like nothing was going wrong. I made a few big bluffs that worked. When I was all in, I was winning.”

Adams had a commanding chip lead for the Day 2 final table return and carried it throughout the afternoon. Larry Greenberg was eliminated on the money bubble followed by Deeb. Ajay Chabra had a great run throughout the two days but fell short at the hands of Adams.

Barry Hutter went out in third place to set up the battle for the title between Adams and online poker monster Pablo Fernandez. Adams had a big lead to start heads-up play and extended it before finishing it off.

It took less than 30 minutes of heads-up action for Adams to dispatch Fernandez and pick up another high roller title. It was a dominant performance over the two days of the tournament and it was a well-earned victory.

“It feels great. I’ve never really had a tournament where things went the smoothly from the beginning.” Adams said of his big performance. “It feels good to run that unbelievably well.”

Congratulations to Brandon and all the players for another great High Roller tournament.

High Roller results:

1st: Brandon Adams – $370,000
2nd: Pablo Fernandez – $240,000
3rd: Barry Hutter – $150,000
4th: Ajay Chabra – $105,000
5th: Darren Elias – $75,000
6th: Shaun Deeb – $60,000

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante

Pablo Fernandez needed to make a move to get back in the game and shoved for 315,000 from the button. Brandon Adams thought for a moment and called with another chance to lock up the title.

Adams:
Fernandez:

Fernandez needed to catch something with his live cards but it was Adams nailing the flop for the second nut flush. Fernandez needed running miracle cards but he was drawing dead to second place after the turn.

Fernandez took home $240,000 for the runner-up result and Adams banked $370,000 plus the big Showdown trophy for the High Roller win.

1st: Brandon Adams – $370,000
2nd: Pablo Fernandez – $240,000

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 40

Pablo Fernandez open-shoved his button for 265,000 and Brandon Adams called with a chance to lock up the title.

Adams:
Fernandez:

Fernandez had two connected live cards but missed the flop. The turn left him looking for a kind card and he found it on the river to double.

Pablo Fernandez – 505,000 (20 bb)
Brandon Adams – 3,495,000 (140 bb)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 40

Pablo Fernandez opened his button for 55,000 and Brandon Adams called to the flop. Adams checked, Fernandez bet 45,000 and Adams check-raised to 140,000. Fernandez called, the turn was and Adams continued for 170,000.

Fernandez called and the river was . Adams bet 225,000 and Fernandez thought about it for a few minutes. He put in the calling chips and Adams tabled for queens up to take the big pot.

Brandon Adams – 3,685,000 (147 bb)
Pablo Fernandez – 315,000 (13 bb)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 40

Brandon Adams opened to 50,000 from the button and Barry Hutter moved all in from the big blind for 585,000. After getting a peek at Hutter’s stack, Adams called.

Hutter:
Adams:

Hutter was ahead for the double and the flop was no sweat. The turn was clean for Hutter but Adams paired the river to send Hutter out in third place.

Brandon Adams – 3,180,000 (127 bb)
Barry Hutter – Eliminated in 3rd place ($150,000)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 19: 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 40

The three remaining players took a 15-minute break and they are back in action with Brandon Adams continuing to lead the way.

Seat 1: Barry Hutter – 635,000 (25 bb)
Seat 4: Brandon Adams – 2,640,000 (106 bb)
Seat 5: Pablo Fernandez – 725,000 (29 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $370,000
2nd: $240,000
3rd: $150,000

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 40

Brandon Adams continued to push the action at the three-handed table. He raised to 70,000 from the big blind after Barry Hutter limped in the small. Both players checked the flop and turn. Hutter checked the river, Adams bet 110,000 and Hutter called after a short tank. Adams added more chips with for the pot.

On the next hand, Adams opened to 60,000 from the small blind and Pablo Fernandez three-bet to 160,000 from the big. Adams called and they checked down the board.

was good for Adams and he pulled another pot.

Seat 1: Barry Hutter – 575,000 (29 bb)
Seat 4: Brandon Adams – 2,745,000 (137 bb)
Seat 5: Pablo Fernandez – 680,000 (34 bb)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 40

Pablo Fernandez folded first to act and Barry Hutter moved all in for 350,000 from the button. Ajay Chabra moved all in with a similar stack and Brandon Adams folded.

Hutter:
Chabra:

Hutter’s monster was ahead and he made an overkill boat on the board. They counted down both stacks and Hutter had Chabra barely covered to send him out in fourth place.

Barry Hutter – 740,000 (37 bb)
Ajay Chabra – Eliminated in 4th place ($105,000)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 40

Barry Hutter open-shoved for 235,000 first to act, Ajay Chabra folded his button, and Brandon Adams put in a big stack of 100K chips from the small blind. That moved Pablo Fernandez out of the way and Hutter was at risk.

Adams:
Hutter:

Adams was ahead for another knockout but Hutter came from behind on the flop. Hutter needed to fade a spade or queen to double and the turn and river were safe for the double.

Barry Hutter – 510,000 (26 bb)
Brandon Adams – 2,550,000 (128 bb)

$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18: 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 40

The blinds are up and so is the lead for Brandon Adams. The other three players are looking to make some moves to get back in the game.

Seat 1: Barry Hutter – 255,000 (13 bb)
Seat 2: Ajay Chabra – 525,000 (26 bb)
Seat 4: Brandon Adams – 2,790,000 (140 bb)
Seat 5: Pablo Fernandez – 430,000 (22 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $370,000
2nd: $240,000
3rd: $150,000
4th: $105,000